Thanks Ellmize,

I agree that it is good to have references from the journal you are submitting to in your manuscript. On the same line it may also be a good strategy to pick potential reviewers from the reference list. Perhaps the danger is that only a small group of people would get invitations to review, making that they may refuse or it may take a long time to get a reply.

:-)

Hi Kellykel,

as has been said, I think that one should rephrase, use a similar content, yet not literally the same.

By the way, you will find that many articles in different journals are based on one and the same data base / project.

Good luck!:-)

Dear all,

I am writing a paper as preparation for my viva. The journal to which I want to send it requests me to propose reviewers. Obviously I am aware of the key authors in my field, yet am not sure whether I should bring these forward, as I do not know them personally, they are probably very busy people and, I am sure, have very high standards. Alternatively I can propose some people from my closer environment or I can leave it blank.

Has any of you any experience in this and what did you do?:-)

By the way, how is everyone's viva preparation going?:-)

Well done AQ!

good to have managed this. Also good that you had some time to check for mistakes / errors and were able to correct those before submission. Now have a break, relax and enjoy, you deserve it!

Later, join the club of "viva preparers".

;-)

Hi Lostinoz,

nice to hear from you. I think have not seen a post from you for a long time and it is always "nice to see a familar face".

Like the others have indicated, I would go to the conference and present. I think you will enjoy the conference, and regarding the presentation, I think you have nothing to loose. Remember, these presentations do not have to be perfect and I think that you should trust you own judgment on your work. It may well be better than your supervisor's anyway.

If you do not go to the conference, it may well be that you regret it afterwards, would be a missed opportunity. :-)

Hi Sunny,

sorry to read about the 18 months to rewrite.

I was thinking perhaps it is useful to ask someone  not experienced in the field to read it. Perhaps you have friends or family who might be happy to read it through. Often it is really helpful to get an outsider, from a different discipline or background, to have a look. It is amazing how "blind" one gets for certain issues, which may be very obvious for others who are unfamiliar with the subject.

You could even think of organising a sort of "journal club", where you invite people to discuss your subject / thesis / summary of thesis or paper. As the observer you can make notes or ask questions about issues that are unclear from the discussion.

These are just thoughts, which may help lateral thinking and see your thesis from a different perspective.


:-)

Hi Pineapple,

as you are waiting for your viva, it is understandable that you think things like: is it all worth it? Did I do the right thing? See the others around me, they seemed to have made better choices etc.

However, I am not sure whether these types of thoughts are going to bring you very much. I am in a similar situation, waiting for my viva (still do not know the exact date), and I am sure that other choices in my life may have been "better". Yet, I try actively not to think about these issues at the moment, as I cannot change anything about these choices. On the contrary, for me, thinking too much about these issues only makes me feel insecure. As such I try to concentrate on the viva, try to have a structured approach to preparing, re-read a lot etc. Once I have managed to pass the viva, I may concentrate again on other things. Perhaps it is a male feature just to concentrate on one thing at the time, yet for me that works best.

Head up, you have got good qualifications, now to look at the viva, how you pass it and how you will celebrate that!:-)

Hi Sue,

well done regarding the submission, congratulations.

A the same time sorry regarding the worsening condition of your dog. That must be very sad, heart breaking. Perhaps the thought of all the good time you have had with your dog, may provide you some comfort. I am more of a cat person, yet recognise if you have an animal for a long time, then he/she is part of you and your family and it is very hard when the episode comes to a close. I wish you strength.

Kind regards,

Rick

Hi Pineapple,

well done for submitting. It is great to hear that you have come this far, you are nearly there!

Regarding the thesis. I think the feelings you are describing are very common amongst the people who have just submitted. I think it is the norm that you find all kind of errors and typos after you have submitted. Perhaps it is not very productive to get upset about these, as you cannot change them anymore. It may be a good idea to make a list of typos, so that you can indicate to the examiners that you are aware of them. However, I would not spend to much on time on this.

My preparation is based on views on the forum and the book from Jackson and Tinkler. This is not rocket science, more a common sense approach. I have summarised my thesis, summarizing every page in a few sentences. I have a few key documents looking at questions like: Why have I done this project? What is the methodology, why? As a results what methods have I used, why? What are the results? What is my conclusion? What does this mean in practice? What mistakes have I made? What would I do differently if I would do a similar project again etc.

Finally stay cool, you can do it!
:-)

Oops,

sorry, should be <0.01.

Hi Satchi,

I think that mathematically it should be 0.00.

If you want a visible figure, you can do the >0.01, yet then you should use this for all small numbers in your table.

Hi Sue,

like others I am also sorry to hear about your dad.

From a PhD point of view well done for your achievement, despite all the issues happening in your life. Perhaps the whole PhD experience could be seen as a metaphor for life; if you persevere, you will get there.

I think you mentioned earlier, that there is no need for you to do a viva and that once you have completed your thesis everything is done? If so, congratulations, as you are really nearly there.:-)

For me, I am in the process of arranging my viva and probably will know the date tomorrow. I am looking forward to completing the whole thing.

Good show, Emmaki!

This is indeed quite an achievement. It not easy to write in another language, to be away from your uni and to work full time. As such I think you can be proud on what you have delivered.

Again, well done.:-)

Well done BevCha,

so what kind of questions were you asked? Was it easy / difficult / as excepted ?

:-)

Hi Fm,

I have reviewed one article for a journal, as such not an expert.

I wrote the feedback as follows:

1. I mentioned the areas that I felt were particularly good.

2. I mentioned the areas that I felt needed more work on because they were difficult to understand and or if there would be any errors in it. I made sure that I made specific suggestions regarding how these could be improved.

3. Finally I provided a sort of conclusion and provided advice regarding accepting the article or not.